Some of the largest discount and retail chains have been selling confetti string that contain pollutants outlawed more than a decade ago. The EPA found that Target, Dollar Tree, American Greetings, Dollar General, and Too, Inc. have been selling products labeled Zany String, Crazy String, and Party Streamer that contain ozone-depleting hydrochlorofluorocarbons.

The companies have agreed to turn over 2.7 million cans of the products, which mostly were manufactured in China and Taiwan. The EPA will incinerate the goods, which were made illegal in 1993. If you purchased one of the products, make haste and return them to the store for a refund.

The EPA did not announce any fines, so perhaps the companies were duped into selling products that they thought were EPA compliant. Hopefully the companies will learn from the experience that the short term gain is not worth the long term damage to their reputation.